Government spokeswoman Larissa Garvin assured The Courier the works would begin in the second week of March and would be completed by the end of May. 

However, opposition leader Daniel Andrews yesterday condemned the state government for its inaction on the project. 

He said the funding to complete the project had been available since 2010. 

“No work has happened there,” he said. “Like so much of Denis Napthine’s premiership, there is nothing to show from it.”

Mr Andrews and Ballarat East MP Geoff Howard visited the roundabout yesterday. 

Ms Garvin said $4.5 million had been invested to upgrade Ballarat-Buninyong Road in several stages to minimise disruption to motorists.

“This works will involve construction of an additional lane for southbound traffic,” she said. “The project has been staged around acquisition of properties at the roundabout.

“The staging of the works has also ensured delays to drivers travelling this route are kept as minimal as possible. “